The Plot Thickens (1936)

John Carter just had one of those days. First he had an argument with a mysterious Frenchman. Then Alice wants him to pick her up at the park after she has a fight with Robert over him. So ... See full summary »

Director:

Ben Holmes

Writers:

Clarence Upson Young (screenplay), Jack Townley (screenplay),

Stars:

James Gleason, Zasu Pitts, Owen Davis Jr.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
James Gleason	...	Oscar Piper
Zasu Pitts	...	Hildegarde Withers
Owen Davis Jr.	...	Robert Wilkins
Louise Latimer	...	Alice Stevens
Arthur Aylesworth	...	Kendall
Paul Fix	...	Joe
Richard Tucker	...	John Carter
Barbara Barondess	...	Marie
James Donlan	...	Jim
Agnes Anderson	...	Dagmar
Oscar Apfel	...	H. G. Robbins

Storyline

John Carter just had one of those days. First he had an argument with a mysterious Frenchman. Then Alice wants him to pick her up at the park after she has a fight with Robert over him. So Carter takes the roadster just as Marie and Joe were getting ready to leave. But Kendall, the butler, follows the roadster as he thinks it is Joe and his girl Marie. So when Carter picks up Alice and goes out in the country to park - he is shot dead. But the next day, he is found dead in the library at home. The investigation may be run by Inspector Piper, but most of the snooping is done by Hildegarde. The Sultan's Emerald, and a picture of the Cellini Cup, may be the clue leading to Carter's killer.

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Plot Keywords:

emerald | butler | jeweller | murder | hildegarde withers | 

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Genres:

Mystery

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 December 1936 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Riddle of the Dangling Pearl

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

69 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Follows Murder on a Bridle Path (1936)

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Soundtracks

"Pretty Baby"
Music by Egbert Van Alstyne and Tony Jackson
Lyrics by Gus Kahn
Played by the organ grinder in the park

User Reviews

Zasu is good as Hildegarde

Zasu Pitts holds her own in this entry to the Stuart Palmer mystery series that spawned a movie entry. Hildegarde Winters and Oscar Piper solved murder mysteries in RKO's B movie cannon. Younger than Helen Broadrick and prettier than Edna May Olvier Zasu's Hildegarde seems to have a more social relationship with James Gleason's Oscar Piper. In this movie she has a golf date with Oscar. And in the movie 40 Naughty Girls they are attending a musical when murder rears its ugly head. Regardless of the different actress the movies as whole are very enjoyable. I hope to see them on DVD like Nancy Drew or Mike Shayne. The movies always had interesting locations that are no longer with us. From the New York Aquarium in The Penguin Pool Murders to the public school building in Murder on a Blackboard and out to sea on Catalina Island for Murder on a Honeymoon. A viewer gets a glimpse of history and living, of life and entertainment from a bygone era in Hollywood a viewer is given a look at life and living in a bygone age. p.s. I love to see old time telegram pages splashed on the screen.